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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Just Call Me Mrs. Modify

Though it's been 30 odd degrees outside as of late, I've been feeling pretty clever. Maybe it's the strawberry towers, but I'm feeling like "What else can I fiddle with?". And then I look around, and think about what else I can change with what I have already, or what I can change by spending very little money.

One of the things I've been desperately needing is a cabinet to house the livestocks' medications. Those of you who have a lot of different types of stock know, that the more types of stock you get, the more medications/vaccinations/first aid/wormers you need. I have always had a bit of a small store because of the chickens and ducks and geese, but adding rabbits and especially goats to the mix has increased the need for the medications, and therefore the cabinet, 100 times. I was housing the meds in a bunch of plastic cases, inside a big and cumbersome (and ugly) cabinet thing. However, the system was stupid, and I was constantly moving things off the top of whatever I needed. Not to mention that the cabinet was ugly as sin (wait, did I say that already?), gigantic, and in the way. It wasn't working, so I've been on the lookout for some time for a smaller cabinet that could be housed elsewhere and could hold all the things I needed it to.

Yesterday I had my chance. After scoping out every Goodwill and Salvation Army I could find, and finding nothing that I would want to put in my house (the 70's should not be brought back, folks. Not ever), I settled on going to an antiques shop in nearby New Paltz.

I LOVE antiques shops. And garage sales. And auctions with cool stuff. I love to dig, I love to imagine, and I love to find "junk" and make it new. Love, love, love. Anyway, I spent a lovely morning in the antiques shop, touching and looking at things, and I swear I didn't see everything, no matter how many times I looked. But I did find a small sewing cabinet that I could use to put the livestock stuff in, and for under $50, it was a bargain. So I brought it home.

The inside was an empty space.

So I added some shelves with some 1x10.

Then I filled it up.

And it is perfect for all the "stuff" I have. Best of all, when I close it, it's just another end table/cabinet thing, and it looks really nice in the living room, where it's kept.

It worked out well. But then I was on a roll, and decided to try my hand at something else. Easter day, I was looking through a magazine, and stumbled upon these.

HE--LLO!! I realize I'm late to this party, but I love these. At $100 each, I don't love them that much. We have pendant lighting in our kitchen already. They are nice downrods with a nice shade on them. But wow, I just love these lights. I set out to find a way to do them for us without spending $100 each, and without throwing out perfectly good pendant lights, which would really bother me.

Then I had a lightbulb moment. I figured out that I could just cut a hole in the top of the jar (the top being the disposable tin sealing part), and screw the fixture thing to it, I could then attach the jar and BOOM!! Same thing.

So I did.

Kapoowee!!!

It worked!! I used antique jars here, but I did not cut the zinc tops (that would be WRONG). I used a new top, and-- thank you Ball--the new tops fit the old jars. HE-LLO again! Same thing, no money involved.

However, I will come clean and say yes, I did buy fancy light bulbs for them. I figured if I was going to see them, I would buy the old fashioned filament light bulbs the stores now have. It looks really cool.

I am very happy with them, and see? I'm on a roll. Don't stand too still around me, I might modify you as well!

Hopefully tomorrow will be warmer and I can get outside. I have lettuce to plant, after all. Come on, Spring!!!

3 comments:

Cah-ute! I love those lights. they looks great. I need to see the tutorial...cause I don't think I'm understanding exactly how you did it. I'm sure it's pretty simple. The cabinet is a cool one too. Looks like your modifications worked to make it 'everything you wanted it to be!" Pat

About Me

After years of talking the talk, I'm finally walking the walk--and have the boots to prove it.
Living on a beautiful piece of land in a small house, we are turning to the earth to provide for us and others. I am a "jane of all trades", working the land, tending to animals, and doing things that many people just don't do anymore. Teaching our children to be good stewards, and relearning the skills ourselves is our goal.